2010

The visit of the all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir has generated hope and the expectation that it may still be possible to redeem the situation. The immediate task is now for New Delhi to move from the symbolic to the substantive, utilising the opportunity provided by the delegation’s visit. And as the Central Government reaches out to build trust and confidence, it is essential that this is matched by the people and their leaders in the State, in word and deed.
Even cynics will (…)

by Riyaz Ahmed
Elections to Afghanistan’s parliament, that took place on September 18, were marred by widespread fraud which could affect results in a third of the country’s provinces. The elections were successfully held despite the Taliban insurgents’ threat to disrupt the ballot but release of preliminary results has been delayed till the middle of this month (October 17) not only because of allegations of fraud but also due to the need for more verifications and recounts.
The (…)

What’s it with these economist wizards— that they can see figures and percentages so clearly and yet are blind to human beings? Food rotting in godowns when people go hungry attracts little or no attention. But the slightest suggestion that foodgrains likely to rot are better given away to the poor makes them throw textbooks at you.
Montek Singh Ahluwalia was the very picture of wizardry when he said that free distribution of grains would not be good for food security. The implication is (…)

While hectic last-minute finishing touches are being given to the Commonwealth Games, all set for a gale opening in the Capital on October 3, and even at this stage an ever-vigilant media is bringing out detailed accounts of deficiencies and poor preparations in different areas, notably at the Games Village, the controversy over who—Prince Charles or President Pratibha Patil—would actually inaugurate the event his hit the headlines in a big way. According to latest reports, however, the (…)

[(TRIBUTE
Dr Arjun Sengupta, 73, whom C. Rangarajan, the Chairman of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council, described as a “career bureaucrat” having a “good understanding of social problems” and “deeply touched and involved in finding solutions for people at the bottom of the population pile”, passed away at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences on September 26 evening after stoically fighting cancer for quite sometime. What was most remarkable was that he never spoke about the (…)

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad provoked the Americans when he said at the UN General Assembly that “some segments within the US Government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grip on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime. The majority of the American people as well as other nations and politicians agree with this view.” His speech provoked the US delegation to walk out. Delegations from 27 EU nations, Australia, Canada and Costa (…)

FROM N.C.’S WRITINGS October 2 this year marks Mahatma Gandhi’s one hundred and fortyfirst birth anniversary. On this occasion we are reproducing N.C.’s following editorial that appeared in Mainstream (October 5, 1968) and publishing a few relevant articles.
Indraprastha Bhawan has become a symbol—and not merely because lathi-happy policemen were let loose on meek, unarmed and law-abiding clerks and officials, including many women. Police excesses have not been unknown in the years of (…)

A seminar on partyless democracy at Allahabad has put me wise to the growing disenchantment with party governments, party elections and party regimentation of MPs and MLAs that deals a blow at genuine people-led and controlled democracy.
The alienation and disenchantment with the parliamentary or presidential forms of governments, both party based, is not confined to young democracies like ours. Its most vociferous expression has appeared in the oldest democracies of the UK and USA. What (…)

In his own way, Gandhi had been a critic of modern civilisation. He criticised almost each and every aspect of modern civilisation. Whether it was the machine, profession of doctors lawyers or various political structures like State/Parliament, Gandhi could never confirm his appreciation of these signifiers of modernity. This shows that to some extent for Gandhi everything was wrong with modern civilisation. However, interestingly Gandhi’s life was highly influenced by these modern (…)

Irom Sharmila Chanu will be completing ten years of her continuous fast, an exceptionally courageous feat in our country and the world, on November 4, 2010, that is, precisely a month from now. We are thus publishing the following article on Gandhi Jayanti as Sharmila is silently upholding the legacy of the Mahatma in the true Gandhian spirit shunning the glare of limelight.
Prologue
I was then young in the early 1970s when I first heard the song “Blowin’ in the Wind” of Bob Dylan. The (…)